Dr Fauziya Buhari-Ado school feeding programme empowers women, supports farmers, and tackles hunger through strategic humanitarian leadership
Dr Fauziya Buhari-Ado school feeding programme in Kaduna State has been recognised internationally for its far-reaching impact on nutrition, women’s empowerment, and local agriculture.
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Speaking in Nairobi after receiving the 2025 4th Humanitarian Bootcamp Award, Dr Buhari-Ado described the scheme as a transformational model that strengthens food systems, school enrolment, and grassroots economies.
“The Kaduna School Feeding Programme is more than a daily meal,” she said. “It’s a strategic investment in our children’s future, our economy, and the dignity of our women.”
She credited Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, for his vision and trust in appointing her to lead the scheme, which currently feeds over 730,000 pupils across 3,400 schools and employs more than 7,000 women as cooks.
Dr Fauziya Buhari-Ado school feeding programme, backed by over ₦4 billion in annual state funding, sources ingredients from local farmers, helping to stimulate rural economies while delivering critical nutrition to schoolchildren.
“Each plate of food is a promise — not charity, but nation-building,” she stated. “We are feeding minds, fuelling dreams, and laying foundations for sustainable growth.”
Her keynote presentation, titled Feeding the Future: Leveraging Humanitarian Leadership to Achieve Food Security and Economic Transformation in Africa, called for deeper partnerships between governments, development agencies, and civil society.
“Food security is not optional — it is the bedrock of peace, productivity, and stability,” she noted, urging African leaders to treat hunger as a solvable crisis.
Dr Buhari-Ado also praised prominent women in humanitarian leadership, singling out Dr Martina Nentawe Yilwatda and Mrs Deborah Hornecker of the Women’s Leadership Network for their contributions to inclusive development.
She concluded with a rallying cry: “When no African child goes to bed hungry, we will know we’ve built a continent of hope — not through power, but through humanity.”
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Her award comes as Nigeria intensifies national school feeding efforts, with President Bola Tinubu launching the Renewed Hope Mo’Feed Project to reduce child malnutrition and improve access to education.
